Ribbon-holder.



PATENTED JUNE 4,1907.

E. S. GRAY.-

RIBBON HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 19 06.

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EDGAR S. GRAY, OF GREENFIELD, OHIO.

RIBBON-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1907.

Application filed June27,1906. Serial No. 323,675.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, EDGAR S. GRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenfield, in the county of Highland and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SpringRibbon-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a 'full,clear, and exact description of the inclasp the ribbon thereon; thepurpose of which is to prevent accidental or undesired unwinding of theribbon, while yet allowing the ribbon to be pulled out from the spoolreadily, thus obviating the necessity of securing the free end of theribbon by means of pins, the handling of which consumes time besidessoiling and injuring the goods.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device of the abovestated character, better adapted for attachment to the ordinary ribbonspools on the market, and not liable to accidental detachment, and ofmore efficient operation for retaining the free end of the ribbon; thedevice being moreover of simple and practicable design, and constructedso as to hug the side and periphery of the spool closely, so as to avoidoutstanding projections to catch in other articles, besides permittingthe compact stacking or piling of the spools for shipment, storage ordisplay.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ribbon-spool having my improveddevice applied thereto, the transverse-locking-strip which clasps theribbon being shown in position to lock the spool and ribbon and preventthe ribbon from slipping back or being pulled back from under saidlocking-strip. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing a difierent position ofthe locking-strip to permit the ribbon to be pulled out or drawn fromoif the spool, as when a salesman or saleslady, desiring to accommodatea customer, holds the spool in one hand while pulling out the desiredlength of ribbon with the other hand. Fig. 3 is a detail perspectivefiview of the holder detached from the ribbon-spool.

Referring more specifically to said drawings, the letter a indicates anordinary ribbon-spool, such as the hollow pasteboard roll or drumcommonly employed, upon which the ribbon I) together with a layer ofpaper 0 is wound in the customary manner. The spring-holder, showndetached in Fig. 3, comprises a simple wire spring-yoke (Z, having anintermediate straight portion on which is arranged a locking-strip e,and having its opposite legs similarly bent at an acute angle to provideelasticity or resiliency, the ends of said legs being pivotally attachedto spurred or pronged sheet-metal disks f. This device is applied to theribbon-spool or drum a astraddle of the same in the usual way, the

disks f being secured centrally to the opposite sides of the spool ordrum, so that the spring (1 causes the locking-strip e to yieldinglyclasp the ribbon wound upon the drum; it being understood that the legsof the spring d are stretched or tensioned between the center andperiphery of the drum so as to effectually clasp the ribbon until thelast remnant thereof remains upon the spool. The spring d is of courseof proper size to fit the drum, and is desirably constructed to hug thesides of the drum closely and avoid all outstanding projections, theangular bends of the wire legs of the spring being formed so as to comeshort of the rim of the drum or spool, or in other words so as to liebetween the center and rim of the spool when the device is appliedthereto.

The sheet-metal disks f may be attached to the spring by inserting theends of the spring through central holes in said disks and doubling upor bending said ends in wardly, as indicated at g, the spring being thuspivotally fastened to said disks, while the disks themselves are safelyheld by the doubled extremities g of the wire. The spurs or prongs h ofsaid disks f are intended to be bent inward and pressed into theopposite sides of the spool, so as to afford a firm hold or anchoragefor the spring. Said spurs h are in the shape of arrow-heads 0rspearheads, and when they are forced into the pasteboard sides of thespool or drum they afford substantially as strong a fastening as rivets,and are not liable to come out, for on the contrary considerable forcewould be required to tear them out. Thus the device is not dependentupon the tension of the spring for keeping it securely in place, and itis not liable to accidental detachment. Furthermore, by this mode offastening, no wear and tear of the centers of the spool is occasioned byrevolving or turning the spool in use, since the ends of the wire springare pivotally attached to the centers of the disks, which latter aresecured at a plurality of peripheral points to the sides of the drum.

The locking-strip e, mounted on the transverse intermediate straightportion of the spring-yoke, is in the form of a roller having aprotruding curved edge e; and this contrivance is preferably made bycurling or bending a sheet-metal strip around the said inter mediatestraight portion of the spring. "When the holder is applied to thespool, the normal position of said locking-strip is as shown in .Fig. 1,the free edge 01 bearing down upon the ribbon'at the side of the springtoribbon is pulled out from the spool, its frictional effect upon theroller 6 turns said roller to the position shown in Fig. 2, thusreleasing the edge i from the ribbon, and allowing the free movement ofthe spool to unwind the ribbon. After the required length of goods hasbeen unwound and cut off or removed from the spool, a slight backwardmovement givento the spool-by the operator will throw the locking-strip6 back to the position shown in Fig. 1, thus safely lockingthe spool andsecuring the endof the ribbon. This locking contrivance thus serves thedouble function of a roller, strengthening the intermediate cross-pieceof the spring wire, and of 'a lock for the spool and ribbon when not inuse.

. The holder herein described canof course be used for all sizes andkinds of ribbons and bands, being constructed in various sizes accordingto the sizes of ribbon spools or rolls upon which it is to be employed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A spring-holderfor ribbon-spools com prising a wire spring-yoke adapted to be appliedastraddle of the spool and having an intermediate straight portion andangularly bent legs, a locking-strip on said intermediate straightportion consisting of a roller having a protruding edge, and diskspivotally-attached to the ends of said legs and having spear-head prongsor spurs adapted to be inserted in the sides of the spool, the tensionof the legs of said spring-yoke adapted to cause the said locking-stripto clasp the ribbon wound upon the spool.

2. A spring-holder for ribbon-spools comprising a yoke adapted forapplication astraddle of the spool and having an intermediate transverseportion to clasp the ribbon on said spool and having oppositespring-acting legs and sheet-metal disks arranged at the inner sides ofsaid legs and provided with peripheral spear-head prongs or spursadapted to be bent inward and inserted in the opposite sides of thespool, the ends of said legs being positively but pivotally attachedtothe centers of said disks.

3. A spring-holder for ribbon-spools comprising a yoke adapted forapplication astraddle of the spool and having opposite springacting legsadapted for attachment to the opposite sides of thespooland having anintermediate straight locking-strip consisting of a revoluble rollerwith a curved protruding edge, said legs adapted to oause'the saidlocking-strip to clasp the ribbon on the periphery of the spool.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR S. GRAY. Witnesses A. M. MAOKERLEY, L. 0. SMITH.

